Diyu Liu Capstone

Stage Crew is a project in partnership with Philadelphia Young Playwrights (PYP), GGL Creative, and me. I designed an activity kit themed around an original cast of animal characters who are all players behind a theatre production. The kit debuted on April 18th, 2026, and it included a leaflet full of activities that folds out into a poster on the back, a wooden puzzle with each of the ten cast members, and a custom bag to hold everything.

This project blends art and engineering, two passions of mine that are deemed total opposites. I wanted to challenge that stereotype and to encourage young people to explore the arts. After all, we are all artists in our own ways. For example, designing the leaflet and drawing the poster proved that I can be a visual artist. However, the wooden puzzle proved that I needed a vivid imagination in addition to technical skills like Fusion 360 and laser printing to turn 2D into 3D.

All proceeds earned from this project went to PYP to support future young playwrights. I am always looking to give back to my community, and I have been writing with this program since the sixth grade. SLA works with PYP’s teaching artists, so the kids at SLA will benefit, too. At the very least, I had a blast working with my mentors, prototyping, producing, and promoting Stage Crew, and I hope to expand in the future!

Please use this link to view the items in detail: Click here!

Link to Biblography: Click here for the bibliography!

Posing with the Table at SaturPLAY! The leaflets were free with a suggested $5 donation and the puzzles were $20.

From left to right: Madeline holding the poster side of the leaflet, Diyu holding the puzzle stage with characters, and Ali holding the activity book, closed.

A closer look at the stage with five characters. From left to right: Kenny the lighting engineer, Henry the choreographer, Dahlia the director, Meri the sound engineer, and Charlie the dramaturg. Please visit the Capstone folder (linked above) to learn more!